Solstice
by Clockwork-Atom
Summary: Michiru, a woman with a quiet, stable life, is dragged in to a weekend full of boring conferences.  Then she ends up in a one night stand with a certain blonde, and suddenly her life is turned upsidedown! As always, H&M. A/U Retrofuturism
1. Act One

**Solstice  
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**Part One: Fascination**

.

**Act One**

It was crowded at the convention center, making Michiru want to curl into herself as she watched people whizzing by. She had no idea why she had agreed to all of this: coming out of her quiet, stable life, and into this... mess. A relaxing weekend was now transformed into a long four day period full of meetings, conferences, and sessions on how to get along with your coworkers. Pseudo important things dealing with the corporate world.

Then she remembered the reason: Minako had talked her into going because the convention was taking place in a city that was a prime vacationing spot. "Come on," the blonde had said, waving her hands in the air, "It'll be fun—I mean once the meetings are over and shit. And those'll be only a few hours a day!" Michiru could now hear that wretched blonde's voice almost shouting into her ear about it, nagging her until she broke down and agreed to come.

She took in a deep, heavy breath as she navigated through the crowd. People were dressed in their business best, and Michiru watched almost fascinated by the silk suits, the demure ties, the understated, form fitting black dresses, and six inch heals. She swaggered in her own pumps, fitting in with the rest. Maybe going to this thing would give her a leg up in the company, give her some credentials over some other employee.

The first of the sessions had just finished, and people milled all around her. Many stopped around each other in groups and talked pleasantly. The soft whispering sound of conversation and laughter tinkled in the air, almost making Michiru feel at ease with being around the large crowds. She stopped in the main hall and sat on one of the cold marble benches that faced the windows across the twenty foot wide hall. The sun was setting, and she was immediately reminded of how long her day actually was.

Michiru had arrived to the coastal city with her usual jet lag. She didn't like to travel often. Though she was bumped up to first class, she had asked for nonsmoking. That choice had strongly limited her access to the more luxurious facilities where smoking was a favorite past time. So during most of the trip she was forced to either pace the isles, or sit.

There was one positive thing during the ten hour trip: the conversation that she had had with another native Neptunian just before the jet had finally landed. It had been so long since she had spoken to anyone from her home world since the move to Earth. She thought that he looked handsome, his hair thick and a shade of blue—a large signifier of the sea-god planet. By the time she got off the large plane, she had his business card in a small pocket in her light traveling jacket. She was tempted to call him.

But so far that seemed to be the only positive part of the day. While on the crystalline highway on the way to the hotel, the engine of her rental began to sputter. Michiru felt the life of the electrical engine, as well as heard the hum, deaden. Her heart dropped as her eyes darted to the speedometer and watched with dread as the speed slowly began to taper off.

Fortunately, she was able to make it to the hotel and convention center by flooring the gas and squeezing out whatever charge was left from the motor. How often did that happen? By the time she slammed the compact into the parking deck, it finally went dead and she was left inside the car in the dark.

When she took a couple of deep breaths to calm her temper, she stepped out of the car and moved to the trunk where her luggage was contained. However, when she opened the hatch, the scent of her own perfume assaulted her nose, and she was barely able to breathe. As she lifted on of the carrier, she found that her bottle must have shattered during transport. The bottom of the bag dripped with the aromatic liquid.

Michiru stormed into the lobby, her anger bristling. She could feel the secretary eying her from the sides of the computer screens. As she filled out the paperwork and signed in, she caught the other stern woman sniffing daintily at her as if blatantly indicating that the scent was too strong. When she was being keyed into the system, someone grabbed her bags and carried them off to her awaiting room. Slowly the smell abated, and she felt her forehead dull from the oncoming headache.

Michiru barely had the time to shower and change into something decent before heading to the first meeting of the weekend. She hadn't realized that she was running so late.

* * *

><p>"That's really good."<p>

Michiru jumped. Instead of going out for a quick dinner between talks, she brought out her writing pad. Just before she started, she flipped through the yellow pages of thorough notes. As she often did when feeling agitated and fidgety, she began a doodle on the next available empty page. The marine blue haired woman didn't know how long she had been focused on the slowly forming drawing, the voices of people becoming a faint, meditative buzz in her ears. It was as if she was in some sort of trance.

She didn't even notice the people around her, let alone the one who had managed to sneak right up to her and look over her shoulder. Michiru looked up, wondering who would have such a voice. It was a deep, husky, and musical voice. Somehow it had managed to cut through her hostile feelings at being spied on. She relaxed her tense shoulders.

The voice matched to a tall man—made taller mainly because he was standing and she was sitting. She decided that he wasn't bad looking at all. The stranger had thick blonde hair that seemed to move when he moved. His eyes were a blue color, and immediately she knew that this was his home planet. Earth. His eyes seemed to laugh at her as he looked down at her curiously. Encasing his lithe figure was a pinstriped black suit, and a spring green tie that didn't seem to match the occasion. She decided that she preferred his tie choice, something more energetic than what everyone else had chosen.

She looked over towards her right, seeing the barren bench, and a part of the blue-haired woman cringed inwardly. There was a part of her that hated when chatty strangers intruded in on her space without asking and sat next to her. So Michiru slowly stood up, never breaking eye contact with him as she still considered what she thought about him. His eyes and head moved with her, though his relaxed posture—leaning against the wall with his hands in his pockets—never changed.

"Thank you," she said. She had never realized how deep her own voice was, though her own voice was very clearly female. And she realized how naked she felt under his gaze. Was he arrogant? "I don't like how you're looking at me," she added with an eyebrow arched.

The blonde man gave her a Cheshire smile, secret and playful. He finally moved from his leaning position with ease and into a fully standing position. "All right then," he said, "I'll leave."

Even though his statement sounded final, the raised eyebrow and the lilt of his voice indicated that he meant otherwise. The blue haired woman fumed inwardly as she watched him leave, her eyes greedily watching him as he flowed from one step and into the other.

* * *

><p>Michiru finally arrived at her hotel room for the last time that night. She felt worn and stretched. After digging around around in her purse, she found her key card and slipped it into the lock. The rest of the conference went in a blur, and she hardly could remember what was said. Her notes became more and more sparse as the conference dragged on. She was tempted to finish the doodle that she had started.<p>

It was finally all over and done with by ten. Minako and a group of her colleagues went out for a couple of drinks. Her best friend had tried to encourage her to come, but Michiru felt the soft sheets calling to her. The blonde gave her her usual pursed-lipped look when she turned down her offer, before sighing and moving on with the group out of the building. Michiru just wanted to crawl into bed.

Minutes later, she was doing just that, pulling down the sheets and comforter, sliding onto the mattress. She did it slowly, enjoying the feeling of her body finally tuning down, relaxing muscles she didn't realize she had been tensing. The bed was soft under her knee and gave a bit under her weight, and the sheets covering the mattress ruffled softly.

The room was large and spacious. On her right was a small sitting space with a cloud blue arm chair with wooden scrolls along with frame and little clawed feet, as well as a love seat done in a similar style. There was a window of the city just behind them. On her left was the cleaning area: sink and a large mirror with rounded edges and golden frame. Next to it was the exit to the hall, leading out to the other rooms. Quite a few feet from her bed was a viewing screen and below it was a desk made of heavy wood with the same clawed feet as the chairs.

She stretched her legs out, spreading out her toes between the fresh cool sheets. In the background the news played from the screen. On the bed stand she fingered the paperback, pausing for a moment. Even though she was alone in the room, she was still slightly embarrassed at the fact that the novel happened to be some trashy romance. Minako had suggested the idea and lent her the book. But it was still something that she had promised herself that she would never do. It seemed as if she was breaking a lot of promises she had made to herself. She was here at this convention after all.

Her eyes shot to her traveling coat which hung from a corner of the bed stand. Maybe if it was a weekend for breaking rules, then maybe she would give him a call. The card was still inside her breast pocket. Michiru tore her gaze away from the fabric and she picked up the borrowed novel to scan the pages. When she was at the cusp of falling asleep, she cut out the lamp, the book long forgotten.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Hey guys! New story up- <strong>and with a completely different genre! I've wanted to write a "retro-futuristic" story for a long while now, so I'm going to try for it, and I hope that there are plenty of you for the ride. If you don't know what exactly that is, wiki might help you out a bit- it's a fun genre to play with. :) It's also my first hardcore romance (I'm kind of nervous, heh heh...) so a lot of input would be appreciated! I rewrote this chapter about three times, and I think I'm happy with it. Hope you are too! R&R


	2. Act Two

**Act Two**

"Well?"

"Well, what?" Michiru glanced over at her friend. Minako looked at her innocently as people buzzed around them. The blue haired woman noticed a few of their colleagues passing by, waving to the long haired blonde as she sidled up beside her. The sound of suits whooshed by them as well as the even clicking of formal shoes. Michiru looked down at her own pointed-toed pumps.

"What have you been up to?"

Michiru did not catch the way her friend's voice sounded, and rubbed at her temples. She hadn't slept all that well, the feel of the bed off and alien. The blue haired woman had slept lightly, waking up every few hours. She had thought she was too tired to shower, and had gone right to bed. Even though the trip had proved far from relaxing so far, she did find some comfort in finally showering when she gave up on sleep earlier in the morning. Almost gleefully, she enjoyed the time she spent on drawing careful, charcoal colored lines over the tops of her eyes when she got out.

Michiru decided on a more blunt reply: "Trying not to fall back to sleep."

"You've had an interesting day..." Minako continued to peel, trying to prompt her into saying something. Her baby blue eyes still looked at her with the utmost pure innocence. But, as the blonde watched Michiru, she tried a bit harder with her tactics. "Tell me about it."

The taller woman finally caught on to the fact that the blonde was clearly trying to get her to divulge something, though she couldn't quite get what it was. Minako was good at her job as secretary to the higher-ups and had a knack for people. And yet sometimes her manners and humor was a bit above Michiru's head—especially when there was less than five hours of sleep under her belt.

They had been friends for about two years, since Michiru had moved. Minako was one of the sole reasons of why she was able to stay so sane. Even if she did drive Michiru crazy on occasionally.

The silence stretched on as Michiru waited for more of a clue. Stubbornly she kept her mouth closed. She still couldn't get what Minako was trying to get out of her.

"So there has been this handsome man that's been checking you out," she prompted.

Michiru couldn't help but to crack a smile. Finally. There it was. But she still didn't get it.

"What guy?"

Her friend eyed her, turning her head at an angle. Her hands planted themselves against her hip. Michiru thought that she looked quite sunny in her sunflower yellow halter dress, despite the frustration that seemed to be spreading along her lightly tanned face.

"Are you kidding me? You are really that oblivious, aren't you?" Minako paused, then sighed exaggeratedly.

"There has been this... gentleman," she explained, "who has been checking you out during the whole morning's seminar." Then she flailed her arms out wildly, making Michiru scan about to see if the action caught anyone's attention. Fortunately, no one even glanced up.

"He's checking you out even now!"

Minako lowered her voice at the last part of the sentence, glancing somewhere over in the bustling crowd. It was lunch hour, and currently many people were packed in groups, trying to figure out where they wanted to go. Several, Michiru guessed, were making a run for the parking deck before everyone else. The marine haired woman followed the shorter woman's gaze, and frowned. When she saw who it was, she chuckled and shook her head.

"Oh him? I ran into him for about five seconds yesterday. That's all. There's no passionate love affair, and I'm not interested."

"And what about that charismatic Neptunian that you were telling me about?" accused Minako, "Have you tried the number on the calling card?"

For some reason Michiru felt like there was a spotlight on her. She got the feeling that Minako truly thought that there was something to worry about. The blue haired woman shrugged and shook her head.

"No, and I don't intend to." She hoped that the stubbornness in her voice was obvious enough.

The blonde rubbed her forehead with her hand at the sound of the finality in Michiru's voice. Then she looked up at her, and put a hand on the upper part of her arm. For a moment, the look in Minako's wide blue eyes made the other woman take her seriously. The blonde looked melodramatically worried.

"I've never seen you fall for anyone. Ever. I've never seen you have any sort of interest in someone... I mean, sure, I've heard you talk about interests that you've had in the past before I met you. But that's it."

She looked over Michiru's shoulder—apparently the blonde man had moved from his original position. Michiru followed her gaze: currently he was with three other people talking pleasantly with them. She felt the bottom drop out of her stomach. She turned to look back at Minako. Since when was her friend ever serious?

"He doesn't appear crazy..." Minako pondered out loud.

"But—"

"Wink at him!" the long haired blonde ordered outrageously. "You don't have to go to every seminar, class, and meeting this week! Relax. This is a famous vacationing spot!"

Michiru felt her unwilling body being spun around. She twirled on her toes to prevent herself from falling over at the blonde's strength. She stared at the man in question, wincing inwardly to herself. Minako was at her side short body touching her because she was so close, and for a moment, Michiru wanted to do it. No—she was determined to do it now that the thought had been placed in her head. Minako had that way with every one around her. "Corrupting people," as the blonde herself had jokingly put it when Michiru had first gotten a taste of her schemes.

The blue haired woman gave him one more glance over, and she found that there was something about him that she couldn't quite place.

"He's very effeminate," she said slowly.

"Yeah, and if he's gay, then at least you can say that you tried. You don't have to go that far if you don't want to either." Minako looked over at her friend, her small hands keeping Michiru in place by her shoulders. "Come on with the excuses, I can keep going all day."

"And by then he'll be gone, and I'll be safe," replied Michiru ruefully.

"And then I'll ask him if you don't."

Michiru felt the color rise to her cheeks at that. She felt a pressure in her head. Everything around her became quiet now that the situation felt final. She was hyper aware of the fact that Minako was watching her from the side of her face. Michiru refused to acknowledge her presence by looking at her. But in the periphery as she observed the blonde man, as well as Minako who looked as if she was ready to pounce on her if she didn't do anything. She was surprised to find that she did want to do something anyway.

They both waited for what seemed like an eternity. The tall blonde man that they had been staring at glanced over as he spoke to his friends. But the aqua haired woman was patient, unlike her blonde friend. She didn't exactly do something as courageous as winking seductively at him like Minako would have done—but she did wave, giving him a shy smile.

The man in question nodded to the surrounding people and they all parted ways. And he was moving right towards her.

"See that wasn't so hard, now was it?" Minako punched her playfully in the arm. The she suddenly looked down at her naked wrist. "And now I should go organize... Something."

Michiru felt the pit of her stomach drop for the second time that day, her heart hammering as she panicked. "You're leaving me? That's cruel!"

The blonde smiled wickedly, patting her on the shoulder. "You know how it is being the third wheel! But don't worry—you'll have company soon!"

And with that, her friend left, leaving Michiru to feel suddenly very nervous. Already she was regretting calling the stranger's attention. She was implying thousands of things to a person she had only met once before. But a part of her tried to reason: She needed to get out sometime and take a risk. Things didn't in fact go wrong every time she tried something daring.

But as he got closer, all thoughts were forgotten. The gentleman wore a different suit, and a yellow tie, giving a striking appearance to his eyes. He stood over her, just a few inches, and for a

moment she had forgotten how tall he was. And then she noticed that his ears were pierced with tiny rings, barely noticeable save for when the light hit them. The piercings added a sort of bad-guy feel, the kind of man that her mother warned her about growing up. Michiru couldn't help but feel a bit apprehensive.

"Did you finish that drawing that you were working on?"

Michiru looked as if she didn't remember what he was talking about. A crooked smile spread on his lips as recognition lit her face. So he had been watching her.

"I saw you working on something during that seminar. I was kind of jealous because I was so bored."

"Not paying attention?" she asked, struggling for words that would keep the conversation fluid.

The taller person waved a hand nonchalantly. "I've been to those so often, I could quote them word-for-word. It's the same thing every year." He cocked an eyebrow, leaning closer to her. "Now why weren't you paying attention?"

Time around Michiru seemed to have no meaning. She was sure that she had somewhere to be in a few minutes, but for the the life of her, she couldn't remember where. Even worse, as they spoke, her mind began to wonder. A part of her missed the feeling of being that close to someone. What would his breath feel like? What would it be like to hold his hand? To kiss him? The thoughts made her feel unsteady.

"I was paying attention."

"The drawing," he pointed out. He gestured towards her bag. Innocently, she opened the thing, and brought out the incriminating evidence: her yellow-papered notebook. It looked pitiful in her hand. Many of the pages had been ripped out, the paper shavings crowding the spiral, the notebook pathetically thin. She began to flip through the pages, and immediately found the near-complete drawing.

The brunette eyed it and Michiru found the color rising to her cheeks once more. It was a tropical scene with palm trees, the ocean, complete with marine life. It was so detailed that it was in two point perspective, and was detailed down to the lace of someone's bikini as they traveled along the shore line.

"I take it that woman is you," he pointed out, glancing from her to the drawing and back again. He was acting serious, but his deep blue eyes seemed to be laughing playfully at her.

"Guilty," she finally admitted with a sigh, suddenly feeling at ease. She held the single page between two fingers and the notebook balanced in the other hand. "You can have it if you're so fascinated by my doodles."

She felt a coy smile reaching her lips. If she had been standing and watching herself, she would have been shocked.

The marine haired woman had clearly meant to tear the drawing out and give it to him—but that wasn't what happened. As she moved her fingers to tear the edge out from the spiral, her index finger slipped. The page ripped from the closest corner, down to the third of the page. Michiru stared, shocked, at the pathetic scrap of paper in her hand. She barely noticed the laughing coming from the tall blonde man next to her. And she felt herself turning bright red. So embarrassed, Michiru refused

to look at him, still looking down, dumbfounded, at the torn drawing.

When she finally did look up, he was still laughing. She would have gotten furious had it not been for how the laugh sounded. He wasn't being unkind about it; it was more like it was because he couldn't help it. He looked much younger, less shielded. She realized that she was again looking down at the torn drawing seconds' later.

Michiru barely noticed that the man had stopped laughing. She looked up at the momentary silence to see him still grinning. He held out his hand towards her, his blond head cocked to the side.

"Haruka," he said, "Haruka Tenoh."

Michiru hesitated for a moment. She was private, and she wondered if this was braking any of her mental rules.

"Michiru Kaioh," she said softly, a part of her hoping that he would miss the name. The woman took his hand for a quick handshake, her fingers grasping his smooth, warm palm. For a second, she felt like she didn't want to let go. Their hands dropped. She met his blue eyed gaze.

"Dinner?" he asked.

The blue haired woman instinctively looked over her shoulder, wondering if Minako had been spying on them the whole time. The hall was clear and appeared to be normal—no crazy blonde woman spying on them. She saw a few people rushing off with briefcases probably off to another session.

She turned to look back at Haruka, her throat suddenly dry. Michiru was stunned, wondering if she had been hearing things.

"Sure," she said before she could think about it.

She knew that a part of her was still stinging from Mina's earlier observations. She wanted to prove her wrong. But she felt the muscles in her face lift upward, and she wondered if there were any other reasons to her answer.

"Can I take the pleasure of meeting you at the lounge around twelve tomorrow?"

"Midday sounds wonderful."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Hey guys, here's a little <strong>bit of a tease. I had intended to make this chapter longer, but I haven't finished up the next bit- I had to post because I feel _really bad_ for taking so long. Right now I'm doing a bit of research for the setting and background. I seem to write better and faster that way... This'll also be the story that I'll be working on for Nanowrimo, so I hope that you guys will stick around. There maybe one or two more updates before then, and it'll either be heating up next chapter or the chapter after.

Thanks for all of your reviews! I didn't expect to get so many and I love them dearly!


	3. Act Three

**AN: Eeeeeewww, you know** I really feel like there's no way I can apologize for not updating. I can always go with "better late than never..." or "the longer the wait the better it is..." Anyway, I hope that many of you are subscribed are still going to read (and maybe a review, must I beg?) The first two chaps were updated, so I'd skim through... Or not. I've been going through my nanowrimo (I wanted to turn it into an original story, I'll do that eventually, but it'll stay as is for now) and the first fifty pages appear to be non-train-wrecked, so chapters should come fairly regularly. For those of you who followed _If I Tell Thee_ you know I keep that promise.

After this, the AN's should be at the bottom, so that they're out of your way and you can read it at your own interest. :)

* * *

><p><strong>Act Three<strong>

Michiru found herself at the bar the very next day, some where around noon, her stomach flipping over nervously. For some reason, this time around, she felt far more nervous—what was she getting herself into? Was she in over her head? She stood at the door carrying her purse, and wore a dress that widened passed the hips and stopped at her knees. The heels were lower, for that she was thankful, and pointed. Her favorite kind of shoes. Covering her fingers, up to her wrists, where delicate white gloves.

The cafe and bar had changed drastically in order to keep up with the time of day, and for that Michiru felt refreshed. It had a more calming cafe feel, the lights white and orange instead of the lively colors that she had seen the night before, as she stood across from it in the lobby. The room was whiter and wider. It seemed to be reasonably busy on the inside, people holding coffee or eating sandwiches delicately between two fingers.

As if sneaking around, the blue haired woman moved cautiously across the lobby. This was the place that connected the massive two-towered hotel with the convention center. As she walked towards the cafe and bar, it began to feel more pleasant as she waited. The ceiling of the lobby had to have been at least four stories high, the ceilings arched and made of glass. Filtering through it was the bright sunlight. The floors were of a warm marble, decorated with red carpets and green plants along the reflective walls. In the center was the main desk where one could check in, ask directions, get the itinerary—it was the brain of the whole building.

Off towards the right of the lobby desk, about forty feet, was the lounge. It was enclosed with glass and jazz. Inside was teeming with others, all in their midday best, glittering in the warm, sparse lights. There were small round tables, and at the other end she could barely make out the main bar.

Michiru did what she always did in situations as extreme as a date. Her emotions would remain in a box. This is, until her mind could no longer contain them, and then she would start panicking. This occurred about ten minutes before the main event. But by this point it was too late to start screaming, so she would continue, outwardly, with dignity.

She dressed robotically, picking her second favorite dress (since she hardy knew the man.) She shook her head and moved into the bathroom and applied a light layer of makeup. The soft brush glided reassuringly across her cheekbones, and she relaxed. She painted soft, smoldering colors above her lashes, and blended according to the angles of her face, and her nerves slackened. Eventually, she returned to the bedroom to pull up her stockings and snap them into place with garters. The sheath was complete and Michiru faced herself in the full length mirror.

It wasn't a serious date, she knew, but dressing up was part of her ritual, her guard that protected her and kept her sane. She was out the door the next second before she could blink and argue with herself.

Already, she could see Haruka sitting at a table nearer to the front facing the road as she made her way towards the cafe. In his long fingers he held a newspaper and seemed to be engrossed with the article he seemed to be reading. Michiru was slightly taken aback at seeing the physical form of the paper. Most business men opted more for the digital format, allowing them to not even hold the material. He seemed somehow old fashioned as she watched him sitting there.

Michiru shook her head and snapped out of her reverie. She was so drawn to just looking at him. The feelings she felt were the kind that she had not felt in a while. They felt alien and she felt even more ill at ease, doubting them. She moved her feet forward and took reassurance in the even clicking of the heels of her shoes.

She passed through the bronze archway that had once been sleek black the night before and the floors appeared to be porcelain tiles. Her feet stopped in front of the table where Haruka sat moments' later, and before she could feel awkward, he looked up.

"Please sit," he smiled. His eyes crinkled at the corners as his hand gestured to the empty seat across from him.

Michiru slid into her seat, observing him. "You're early."

"I didn't sleep all that well to be honest." Slowly he folded the paper, though not neatly enough to lay flat on the table, next to a worn, hard bound journal. Michiru searched his face for the sleep that he was obviously missing. She was fooled.

"I have trouble sleeping in strange beds too," she agreed.

Haruka shook his head. The lack of sleep appeared on his suddenly drooping shoulders as he relaxed them. He stirred his coffee around distractedly.

"I travel all the time," he mused out loud, rubbing his chin. Michiru was surprised to see that there wasn't even the slightest hint of stubble. She screwed up her blue eyes before realizing that he was still talking. "I have a lot on my plate at the moment."

"Why did you go to the convention if it's a waste of your time?"

He chuckled. "Oh, I have to go. If anything it's to prove something to my company. Actually, it's a nice distraction for a while."

Michiru didn't ask for any more details. She thought that it would be none of her business to know any of his personal life. They had just met after all. And yet she couldn't help but be curious. They ordered breakfast, Michiru opting for orange juice instead of the aromatic-tempting coffee. Caffeine seemed to upset her stomach whenever she was somewhere unusual and she didn't want to risk it.

They lapsed into a silence and the jazz music felt even louder, more wild and intertwined. In the background, just barely a whisper, were the sounds of people chatting endlessly, as well as the sounds of glass tinkling in the air. Now that she was inside, Michiru was able to get a closer look at the hovering lights from the ceilings. She stared fascinated.

"Those lights," Haruka observed wistfully, "Are commonplace back at home. Makes me almost homesick."

"Oh?" Michiru asked, glad for the conversation opener. She placed her clutch down in front of her. "Where are you from?"

"One of the moons from Uranus."

That surprised the aqua haired woman. There was a pause, when Haruka flagged down a waiter, and ordered a second round of drinks. A drink that was very close to moonshine, he had insisted—a good starter. Michiru wasn't so sure. She was still stunned by where he said he was from. She could have sworn that he was from Earth, or even from one of the cities of Mars.

As the woman waited, the wild and alive notes around them caught her attention, pulling her in. Music had that kind of effect on her—it was as if it was some sort of piece of her was brought into reality.

The drinks came in no time, Michiru barely missing the waitress as she came. The sound of two tumblers scraped softly across the surface of the table. She blinked, looking up as the waitress walked off—and glanced at Haruka. Haruka wasn't looking at the waitress.

"Where have you been?" his voice barely spoke above the jazz, blonde head to the side.

"Here," Michiru replied immediately.

Haruka chuckled. "No you weren't. You weren't on planet Earth. Not even the moon, Mars, Saturn, or Pluto. I've never gotten looks like that when I traveled to places like that."

His face broke into a smile. Michiru felt like squirming, like she couldn't lie under that blue colored gaze. But she kept her cool—barely.

"So you grew up on Uranus?" Michiru smiled back innocently. She relaxed into her chair.

"One of the moons of Uranus," Haruka corrected. He didn't seem to be the least bit caught off guard. "Miranda to be more specific. As a kid, I grew up in the cities around my father's business. When I had just barely enough instinct and wisdom, I started working for his company... I've been traveling since I was about fifteen—and I've never had a look like that." He wiggled both of his eyebrows has he turned the spotlight back onto her.

Michiru struggled to keep her composure. It was an odd feeling after so many years of preening up on her defenses. She continued to listen to the almost unpredictable throng of notes that weaved in and out of other conversations.

"See? That wonderful, mysterious look," Haruka said. His eyes seemed to be laughing at her.

The blue haired woman hid her lips behind her glass. She suddenly realized that Haruka was only flirting with her, teasing her. She was almost fascinated by his throaty laugh. She blinked and took a sip of her drink. The gentleman began to follow her movements, paused, then put his own glass back down.

Michiru nearly choked.

"Oh my," she barely uttered. Fortunately she was able to hold the drink down and not cough.

It was like being set on fire, and her skin felt like amber and gold. The heat radiated all the way to her toes. However the taste on her tongue left little to be desired: it reminded her of rocket fuel.

"This is nothing like my father's wine!" she said breathless.

Haruka beamed, but turned his head to the side again at Michiru's last comment. "Your father's wine?"

Michiru nodded, taking a smaller sip this time around. "My father owns a vineyard. He loves his job, and I grew up tasting it—not to get drunk or anything—but to taste art." She shook her glass. "This is crude, but somehow so... wondrous..."

They made small talk as they nibbled on their orders. Though mostly they faded into a peaceable silence. Michiru watched the people around them, as she tried to avoid the fact that Haruka seemed to be observing her. She was unused to the attention, but she didn't seem to mind all that much. Between one of the silences a question popped up into her mind. She looked at him, and his eyes jumped in surprise.

"What do you do in your business actually? I have forgotten to ask."

"I'm the head CEO of Sky King industries," Haruka replied easily. "We mostly sell lighting. Actually," he opened an arm towards the cafe and bar, "the lamps in here were designed by the company. Outdated but designed by SK."

Michiru had heard of the company, but she couldn't quite remember where. "Oh," she said. She eyed one of the closer fixtures. It was a simple thing, but she stared almost fascinated as it hovered almost cheerily by a support beam. She also hammered her brain for any information on the company, but couldn't remember a thing... It sounded so familiar!

When she turned back to look at Haruka, he was also looking at the small light almost wistfully. He gestured towards it. "I think it was one of Setsuna's design's. She's been working on perfecting this particular design for quite sometime."

"Who knew that so much thought would go into something as simple as a lamp?"

Haruka shrugged. "You'd be surprised. Lighting is also a pretty thriving business. It's a staple for society to be able to see in the dark after all."

They faded into silence once more as they finished up their meal. Michiru had a hard time pacing herself as she glanced up from her plate almost as if to see what he was thinking. The last bit of silence seemed more awkward as if they both sensed the end of their time together. Michiru couldn't help but wonder if Haruka had meant to say something more, but she couldn't think of anything else to say to break the silence.

Michiru stirred around the last remaining bits of lettuce around with her fork as she looked up at Haruka with glittering eyes. "So," she said, "What are you doing here?" She met his blue eyed gaze and felt almost thrilled at the idea that he seemed to be enjoying himself.

He wiped his mouth with the cloth of the napkin before placing it right next to his own emptied plate. "What are you doing here?" he shot back. He smirked, leaning forward. Then the blonde sighed heavily, suddenly serious. "I'm probably here for the same reason as everyone else. You?"

"Vague," observed Michiru with a raised eyebrow. She tossed her hair over her shoulder. "I'm hoping to further my career and get higher up into the company. That would be the logical answer—my real answer is that my friend happened to drag me here."

Haruka chuckled. Michiru cocked her head to the side at the sound of his laugh. It was musical, and she began to wonder... But no... She shook her head and tuned back into what he was saying.

"That's not why people really come here."

Michiru sat back into her chair. She had never felt such at ease this quickly with someone before. Normally it took months to feel this way towards anyone she had met—even with Minako. But at his reply, she cocked an eyebrow. Haruka immediately looked like he had said too much, and his cheeks flushed. Suddenly he seemed flustered. They were on their second glass of alcohol and the blonde opted for something more smooth and not quite so strong for his date. Michiru was thankful.

"And _why_ do people really come here?"

The blue haired woman followed his gaze. He was staring towards the exit of the hotel, watching the cars as they whizzed down the street like shooting stars. Michiru liked the reaction, and couldn't help but smile. She crossed her arms over her chest. "Well?"

He shrugged again and seemed to regain his calm composure. "Well," he shrugged, looking at her again, "You know... Partying... One night stands... The bullshit seminars..."

Michiru immediately wondered if he was going to the same presentation that she was going to go to in the morning—about sexual harassment. "One night stands?" she asked innocently. She leaned forwards until her head was resting on the backs of her folded hands somewhere in the middle of the table.

Haruka swirled the liquid in his tumbler, looking sheepish. The look faded into an unreadable gaze. He shrugged. "A lot of drama is packed into these four day seminars." He turned his head to the side. "I don't know why I'm revealing so much—it's strange. You're strange." The blonde nodded his head in her direction, and Michiru felt her heart hammering in her chest. "I like this."

The blue haired woman wondered if he was talking more to himself than to her until the last comment when he was finally looking up at her from his glass. She felt as if she was only getting half of the story, but somehow, she felt honored.

"What? You like the feeling of digging yourself into a hole and not being able to struggle out?" she asked ruefully.

Haruka laughed at that one and shook his head. "Sometimes it makes us humble to be around people who hands us the shovel!"

Soon they had both finished eating and Michiru tried to remain calm as she picked up the white napkin from her lap and folded it neatly, placing it back onto the table top. Their chairs scraped across the tile and they both began to walk towards the exit. She felt her gut sink, disappointed that he hadn't invited her to something else. She hated to admit to the fact that she had enjoyed her time with him. Michiru tried to remember that there was a calling card still in the pocket of her traveling jacket, but it didn't seem to bring her any comfort.

"You have anything that you're going to today?" he asked, looking over at her. Haruka looked exasperated, like he'd rather be underwater basket weaving than being in the place. He smirked.

Michiru glanced up at the clock hanging from the lobby as they exited the bar. She pursed her lips as she calculated the time. "There was something that Minako wanted me to attend with her in about twenty minutes."

"I wanted to thank you about the time you allowed me to spend with you. I hope that you enjoyed it as much as I did," said Haruka warmly.

Michiru wanted to turn to face him so that she could at least shake his hand with her thanks. She suddenly felt something soft against her cheek. Shocked, Michiru turned her head in that direction. Their lips touched. It was a flutter, and she felt the electrical shocks tingling from her mouth to her brain, surging through the rest of her body. Haruka had meant to kiss her on the cheek before leaving, but that was obviously not what had happened. His eyes jerked open, and the color to Michiru's cheeks rose. They both pulled away—but not all that far. Michiru could feel his warm breath across her mouth as they stared at each other, shocked.

Michiru stood very still, afraid to scare him away as well as afraid of what to do. It was as if something inside of her had suddenly woken up. But, as she watched, he closed his eyes, and moved slowly and cautiously forward once more. Michiru found that she was lifting up her chin towards him, and he obliged her, kissing her again.

This time the second kiss was deeper, more than just an accidental peck. The electrical volts again shot through her whole body and her whole body responded in turn. It was more powerful this time, all centered on that small, exploratory touch.

Tentatively, Haruka kissed her top lip, and she opened her mouth just slightly. She felt as if her lips were burning, her head spinning, but she couldn't stop. She found with shock that she _wouldn't_ stop. Her tongue tickled the skin between her mouth, and she was rewarded with a sharp breath coming from Haruka.

Unwillingly, he pulled away. "You're a clumsy one," he commented. The blonde's cheeks were flushed, and Michiru barely noticed the world outside of them both. Before Michiru could respond, he lifted her head gently with his fingers. A wry smile touching his lips as he touched his forehead with hers.. "But I don't really mind it."


	4. Act Four

**Act Four**

"Tell us about it!"

Michiru found that there was a constant blush tattooed to her face, and she wished immediately that she could learn how to restrain it. Rumors had spread like wild fire from Minako and her colleagues. She was a normal woman, so average that she considered herself almost bland. And she supposed that what was flying around was something that hardly seemed like her. Michiru thought that she had forever left high school behind in the dust. But somehow there people were, peering over at her like a new side show.

The marine haired woman wondered desperately where Minako was. And for a second she wished that she was back at her parents' home. Everyone surrounded her had barely given her a second glance at the office. Looks that appeared kindly enough, plastic smiles as they passed her cubicle—or so she had thought.

Usagi looked as if she was about to strangle her, trying to twist her dry like a wet cloth for information. Michiru had been on a vague acquaintance with her for the passed three years. Usagi had known Minako far longer than Michiru had. They had gone to the same university and had hung out with the same friends. The two blondes were as thick as thieves throughout their wild years.

"There's nothing really to say," Michiru quipped, trying to keep her voice smooth and neutral.

She didn't know how much they all knew as well as how they all found out. But Usagi was the gossip of their floor and she had always managed to get a hold of almost_ any _information no matter how well it was kept. Michiru was safe being vague. Usagi sighed, but the blue haired woman knew that eventually she was going to try and peel away her ambiguity at a later time. Persistence. The tiny woman of five foot two stirred her martini wildly with a thin red straw.

"Well," the bleached blonde said, clamping her on the back with a small hand, "We are happy for you!"

Michiru could see that Usagi was clearly far gone, and on at least her fourth martini. Ami, so far had remained quiet and observant. She was still on her first margarita, most of the slush already melted away. The condensation teared down the brightly-colored glass. The curly haired woman tried to figure out what to do with it because she could barely drink the thing down.

They were at the hotel bar in the early evening just as the sun was setting. The bar was in transition, switching to its more darker and seductive colors. Lighting went from white and orange to purples, reds, blues, and greens. The place was packed, and Michiru felt safe knowing that no one was going to be over hearing their conversation. She felt a tingle down her shoulder blades knowing that she had just been in this same place only less than a half a day ago.

Finally, in the corner of her eye, she saw Mina sauntering in from the corner of her eye. The long haired blonde took her seat between Ami and Michiru. She waved for a drink before turning her attention to her friend next to her.

"Heeeey," said Mina. "I haven't seen _you_ for a while... How are you doing?" Her voice was secretive and suggestive. It was with an artful subtlety that the one across from Michiru could never master.

"The jig is up," Michiru said bluntly rolling her eyes towards Usagi. "They all already know." She sat back in her chair trying to look relaxed and exasperated rather than panicked and embarrassed. She threw up her hands. "I don't know how they know, but they know."

"And she's doing really, really well," Usagi answered for Michiru. She winked before taking a long sip from the red straw she had been fidgeting with.

Mina opened her mouth in a perfect "O." It was very clear that she was surprised at the new update on events. "I didn't say anything," she finally replied, shaking her head. But she got up and banged Usagi on the back, the smaller woman issuing out a rather loud whine. Mina's eyes turned terse as she took her seat once more. She looked over at the other blonde.

"Okay Usagi, cough it up! How did you find out?"

Michiru was speechless, watching him, and froze even further when he moved his face to the side of hers. "I have to tell you something if you would like to kiss me again." His voice tickled against her ear, sending shivers down her spine. She was sure that he could feel the almost violent tremble coursing through her beneath his hand at the small of her back.

"What?" Michiru asked.

* * *

><p>She looked up at the blonde, confused. Michiru's cheeks were still flushed, but his voice was a bit less hoarse sounding, now smooth and controlled. Michiru was still reeling from the kiss, and she could feel his soft touch against her still. The sound had returned in the lobby of the convention center, people still going about their normal lives—or at least as normal as it could get in the massive building. It was strange how they moved, seemingly unaware of the strange romance unfolding before her eyes.<p>

He ran his lips along the line of her cheekbone, and she almost missed him repeating what he had said earlier. She breathed in sharply when the smaller tremors calmed. "I have to tell you something." His voice was low, and she wondered why all of the sudden secrecy. But a millisecond later, her question was answered.

Before she could look at him questioningly, he said, "I'm a woman."

Then Michiru _did_ jerk away, more out of shock than anything else. She had been so sure... Then she realized, a second later, that, no, she hadn't been sure the whole time she had been around his presence. There _had_ been something about him. She cocked her head to the side, taking her first close look at him... Her. Haruka allowed her to have her space while she took her in. The brunette still had a placid look on her face, but the marine haired woman know that it had to be a ruse.

"But why the suits?" she blurted out before she could stop herself. She covered her mouth, realizing that she had said something rude.

She had heard of women doing that all the time in centuries previous—traipsing in men's clothing. Even now it did happen, but it was more for show than anything else. Shows that belonged on stage hidden from mainstream entertainment. Michiru screwed up her eyes, trying to decide on what she felt. She took a step back while Haruka stood their patiently, her face still masked with that placid look. Slowly Michiru's hand fell from her mouth

"I wear them to these conventions, and occasionally on an everyday basis when I want to project a certain persona. And they're comfortable," the blonde finally answered into the silence between them. Haruka cocked her head to the side, a sly smile forming on her mouth.

How could Michiru find this whole idea alien when somehow the look suited Haruka? The blue haired woman forced a laugh. Really? She was still getting used to the idea that the woman in front of her was... Well... A woman.

Michiru mimicked her pose, turning her head to the side. "What other reactions have you gotten with this?"

"You really don't know who I am, do you?" Haruka' eyes twinkled at her. Michiru realized indignantly that she was laughing at her again, and a blush rose her her face. Slowly she shook her head, and the blonde suddenly turned serious. "Many reactions, and many not so kindly as yours."

Michiru wanted to read the look on her face behind those words. She realized that Haruka was hiding something refusing to bring certain details to light. She watched as Haruka shoved a hand in her pocket, the movement so natural.

"And other women? You like women..." Michiru couldn't get used to this idea either. Everything about the other woman standing in front of her seemed natural, flowing from one movement to the next. The blue haired woman was almost jealous at that amount of confidence.

Haruka shrugged to her dismay—she wasn't going into details about that either. Michiru _wanted_ to know even more about this woman suddenly.

"So what do you think?"

Michiru did something that she never thought that she was capable of doing: she kissed her again. She kissed her again, knowing that she was a woman—a person that was the same gender as her. Something that made no logical sense. Haruka' lips were hot and still slightly moistened from their last kiss. The taller woman was surprised by her movement, and her mouth had been partially opened. The marine haired girl could feel her breathing in sharply. Their teeth clicked softly as Haruka finally responded aggressively, and she placed a hand on the small of Michiru's back. After what felt like a million minutes later, they pulled away. Michiru was delighted that Haruka appeared to be just as out of breath as she was.

"We can go to my room for a while," the blonde offered. Her voice was low and serious. Michiru felt a thrill running through the pit of her stomach at the things that she was implicating.

The blue haired woman slowly nodded her head yes—there was no question. The normally private woman turned her head to the side, and slowly grasped Haruka' hand. She allowed the taller woman to guide her away from the convention hall and towards the exit.

* * *

><p>"Well, I found out this way..."<p>

Michiru snapped out of her reverie long enough to listen in. For once she didn't miss a single word of the smaller blonde woman who sat across from her.

"See Haruka is best buddies with Makoto, this amazon woman who is her best friend. You tell best friends everything of course and I wouldn't see why you _wouldn't _have one... So she told her about the one night stand... Or day stand..." Usagi waved a hand, until people around the table began to grumble for her to move on and get to the point. "Then Makoto told her friend Rei because she was really worried about her friend and needed some outside advice.

"Rei, by the way, used to work with us as a coordinator, who told Ami of course—who works for our company currently. Rei felt like she didn't have any experience dealing with people. She normally communicates with Ami through the nets and they knew each other in high school. And Ami, as kind as she is, can't tell a lie, and that's where I come in. That's how I got _my_ information."

Usagi said all of this in one breath and in a complete ramble. She ended it all in a hiccup, blinking owlishly before waving for another drink. Michiru had to count her fingers and go over all of the names and connections. She realized one thing: it was a small world. All of this managed to spread within a few hours of it happening.

Michiru flinched inwardly at the term "one night stand," but it was the truth. At least a small part of her could find comfort in the fact that she now knew where Usagi had gotten all of her information. However, it did manage to worry her about how many people now knew. It _wasn't_ any of their business. The marine haired woman tried to reason with herself that there was no privacy when there was a group of people concerned no matter how well you tried to hide yourself. And somehow she managed to get herself tangled up in a group without herself knowing.

She took a couple of deep breaths when she realized that she had been holding one in on the verge of panic. After all, Michiru knew that she should not be getting angry with Haruka, nor the blonde gossip sitting across from her at the table. It was how people were. Still, she wanted to be angry at someone, and the whole situation didn't make her any less frustrated.

* * *

><p>The convention center was sprawling. One of the major hotels was connected by a long, beautiful hall. Too long in Haruka's opinion because that was where she was staying. She surmised that Michiru was staying in one of the main towers, and she realized that she should have invited herself over to the other woman's room. It was against her style to invite women to her place. It was also not her style to not think things through. Haruka couldn't help but look over her shoulder as they sprinted across the parking lot at the woman who's hand she held onto so determinately.<p>

Her wavy hair was flung out about her as they moved, a flush to her cheeks. She was curvy, wide hips, a small, narrow waist, and round breasts. And able to run in heels. She was beautiful, Haruka realized. How could she not have seen that? How could she not see how fast she had become so interested in this stranger? Haruka turned her head back in the direction of where she was moving.

Like the parking deck where her own car was located, Michiru noticed that this lot was just as full. They weaved widely across it, and she felt like she was five years old again. She felt as if they were gliding on the wind. They were moving so fast and so effortlessly. She didn't realize that she had been so cold, shivering as the oppressive heat breathed on her shoulders. The heat shimmered off of the black of the pavement. The place was empty—everyone was all packed inside of the convention center.

Haruka's hand was still cool against hers, pulling her back into a dreamlike state. She looked over her shoulder to see where they had come from. The convention center was a blur nearer to the bottom as the heat floated like smoke around it. She was confused, at first, as to where they were going, but she quickly noticed another high-rise building just next to the one that they had exited.

The next thing that she knew, they were bursting into the red carpeted entrance, and a wave of air conditioning rufflled through her hair. Michiru inwardly sighed with relief as the sweat dried immediately along her arms. The sigh very quickly turned into a gasp. Haruka had her in the crook of her arm and pulled her in for a kiss. Michiru could feel the line of her arm underneath the silk jacket, and she found that she was burning once more—though it wasn't from the outside heat.

Their balance seemed to have been forgotten and Haruka used the wall as an aid. She pushed the blue haired woman up against the cold marble. Michiru felt overwhelmed at the weight of the taller woman's body pressed up against hers, and she felt her tongue slithering into her mouth. She couldn't help but moan at the contact, shocked at the sound in her ears. And just as quickly as the blonde had kissed her, she pulled away. Michiru barely had the time to register that they were again moving, her hand tightly in the other woman's grasp.

Slowly Michiru's mind returned and it gave her a chance to register some of the details that were around her. It was a glamorous sort of hotel, much more glamorous than the one that she was staying in. It was the kind of place that her mother and herself would imagine being in as they talked over dinner. The carpets were rich and dark, adding more spring into her step. Potted plants were posted at every corner, adding a bit of life, color, and greenery.

They passed the wide, high ceilinged foyer and passed the heavy oak desk where check in was. No one seemed to take noticed of the rushing women. Michiru's hip hit across one of the plants, leaves shuffling as she crashed by. Then in the next moment, she found that she was suddenly in a golden colored elevator.

The timer dinged, and the door slowly closed as they stood together. Tentatively, Michiru looked over at the taller woman, finding that she seemed just as eager to get into a private area. Her cheeks were flushed with the same desire that Michiru felt in the bottom of her stomach. She eyed the timer, as if willing to move it faster. The door finally closed with a sluggish, creaking movement.

Haruka had her crushed against the far corner of the elevator before the blue haired woman could blink. A breath was knocked out and she gasped as her back hit the reflective metal. She slide her hand across the other woman's cheek, and found it very soft along the firm curve of bone as they kissed. Michiru tried her hardest to stifle the moans that bubbled up her throat as Haruka became more aggressive. Michiru felt like she was drowning, and she allowed it to happen without a fight.

She could now feel the blonde's figure completely against hers: the muscles of her stomach and the soft swell of her chest through the layers of her clothing. Michiru wondered fleetingly how she had missed Haruka' gender in the first place, and the thought was quickly forgotten.

Haruka softly nipped her neck, running a hand along the side of Michiru's breast. The marine haired woman could feel her nipples hardening against the blonde's body at the teasing contact. She struggled to keep her breathing under control.

She ran her hands through the thick blonde hair, relying on the corner she was pressed against for support, bending a leg for extra help. Immediately she was rewarded with a soft growl coming from Haruka' throat. In return, she felt the other woman's leg suddenly pressing hard between her legs, pinning her against the elevator. Instinctively she pressed herself against the limb.

She opened her eyes, realizing that she had the squeezed shut, as if trying to experience every single touch for all that they were worth. Michiru froze and saw something that intrigued her. She stared almost in complete awe at the metal wall across from them, the surface reflecting their pressing, wild bodies in shades of gold. She could see the jaw line of Haruka, and the way her lips and tongue moved against her neck. She saw herself staring back, one hand tangled in the taller woman's hair, the other splayed across her back.

Two women going at it in the elevator. The blue haired woman closed her eyes again, feeling herself going under once more.

They both very suddenly snapped out of it when they heard the elevator ding sharply. Haruka turned around and saw that the elevator had _finally_ reached her floor. She grabbed the other woman's hand once more, this time almost absentmindedly as she began to count the doors that they passed. Michiru followed without a single word.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: So they totally <strong>updated fanfiction... The summary is at the top with my profile pick... Whoa... And thanks to JustFineEnough who caught some errors (and quickly!) in my story, so everything's corrected. Thank you! :D And I thank everyone for all of their reviews- and happy that I was excused from my disappearance, heh heh... . And okay... Maybe it wasn't a one night stand... But a fling because stories tend to change in my head as I write them...

Well big news for me- even though I'm kind of old for this and 23- came out to my parents a couple days back. Terrifying and hard. But I think it's awesome and strangely normal feeling. XD


	5. Act Five

**Act Five**

Mina finally cut off Usagi when the smaller blonde began to burp. Usagi was somewhere between her fifth and sixth drink. Mina grabbed what was left of the sixth and downed it before the woman across from her could do anything. She gave out a small whine, but Michiru's best friend gave her a stern look and she stopped dead in her tracks. Instead she sat silently and pouted. However she was not one to stay upset for that long. The marine haired woman watched everyone around the table as they chatted and laughed.

It was calming, and she almost felt like she was a part of the group, but she couldn't help but feel like the only reason was because she had managed to do something shocking. She watched as Ami finally loosened up and let out a laugh at one of Usagi's ridiculous stories as the small blonde hiccuped from the remaining alcohol in her system. Minako started on of her own tales that occurred in the early afternoon during one of her conferences. Michiru was delighted to find out that she had found someone with potential that she had been flirting with.

_With another woman..._

The thought popped in Michiru's head suddenly, and somehow it turned her heart cold. Wasn't that illegal somehow? The blue haired woman somehow felt that she had crossed some sort of line. She took a couple of shaking breaths and tuned her ears back into the laughing that was happening around her. It was probably a one time thing and would never happen again. There was _nothing _wrong with what happened.

"You're quiet," Ami finally said, cocking her head to the side. It took Michiru a few moments to realize that she had meant her. The blue haired person blinked a few times and smiled awkwardly. Ami smiled softly—she was trying to include her into the conversation.

"Well that's Michiru for you," barked Usagi. She giggled. "She's the mysterious enigma—nooo one can read her thoughts!" She waved her hands in the air, almost toppling out of the chair. Ami caught the back and steadied the four legged piece of furniture. Usagi appeared to be sobering up—could pronounce the word _enigma_ almost perfectly.

Michiru sat back into her chair, feeling her body compact as she tried to make herself look smaller. She didn't realize that she had been doing so until all eyes were on her.

"I just have nothing to say," she said truthfully.

"OH! I think you have plenty to say," replied Usagi, wiggling her eyebrows at her. "I have a feeling that you have more in your life than you let on!" The lewd look on her face indicated that she meant the rumors. Then she broke into giggles. Ami raised her own eyebrows while Minako shook her head and put a hand to her forehead.

"I think we should go out again," Usagi suddenly said. She straightened up. "Michiru should bring her new beau too."

The marine haired woman felt her head shaking in an affirmative no before she even answered. "I don't think so," she said softly. But Usagi didn't appear to have heard her.

"We should all go out—it's the day before we're supposed to go back home. Tomorrow's the last full day and most of us are leaving then."

Michiru saw something in those innocent blue eyes. And as soon as she caught it, it was gone amidst the haze of alcohol still hovering over Usagi. Was it sadness? She shook her head and looked towards the other girls, hoping that they weren't excited about the idea.

"I think you should at least try to bring her," whispered Mina. Across the table Usagi hardly caught the private conversation, moving onto one of her weird tales of office drama that she had experienced before she had gotten married.

"Why?" whispered Michiru, keeping her voice low.

Mina shrugged. She bumped her arm affectionately, a warm smile on her face. "It's good for you I think."

"I can't even make sense of this."

Michiru found that she was indeed intensely worried about the whole matter. It was troubling because she didn't know how to handle it. No one ever taught her how, and there sure as hell weren't any manuals or rule books on dealing with women... Romantically... Though she was sure that Mina could find something if she said the word. It was one time, so why did it matter?

"Just try then." Then the blonde next to her winked. "I'm sure that she's given you her card and she has yours so you can give her a call."

She still wore her light jacket and moved her hand into the inside of its pocket. She pulled out two business cards and looked at them. Michiru couldn't help but wonder if the Neptunian man would still be interested if she were to give him a call. Though her heart wasn't at all into the idea. She slid the card aside with a finger, revealing the second.

* * *

><p>Michiru waited in the lobby, trying to keep herself still. To her relief, she thought that she was doing quite well if people weren't noticing her: she wasn't screaming in horror and panic. The call had gone a lot better than she had expected, the sound of Haruka' voice smooth and husky as she expected. The blue haired woman couldn't read anything from her voice but calm pleasure, and was at a loss for words at the sound of her voice even over the phone. She had stumbled over the remaining steps in a daze and didn't even remember entering her suite to get ready.<p>

Her costume was something more daring. She stared into the full body mirror at her own figure, gauging how she looked. The dress was slinky and a deep midnight blue color. It had a high neck, but had a low back line. The length of the dress stopped mid thigh. It was her favorite dress but one that she didn't get to wear all that often—she was glad that she had packed it. It complimented her curvacious figure, one of a more simple design. The evening dress was completed with her favorite heels and a small clutch.

She spent a while in the bathroom, taking chances on her makeup. After all, it was the most relaxing thing that she could do at the moment, and as she began to paint her face, she felt the usual calm spreading all over her. Her stress and panic was forgotten as the lids of her eyes became smokey, and her face became more even from the liquids and powders that she applied to it. She spent the most time on her eyes, attempting peacock feathers along the edge. It was a fashion that was becoming widely popular on her home planet but had not at all reached her new home: planet Earth.

The blue haired woman tried to tell herself that they were just casually meeting and going out to a club with her friends. There was _no way_ that anything was going to happen—and she wasn't going to allow it to happen again. It was wrong, though she couldn't convincingly explain why it was wrong. Rude perhaps, taking advantage of maybe. But the thoughts and reasonings didn't at all sooth what she was feeling.

By the time she had forced herself out of the door and was halfway down the flight of stairs (she didn't at all like elevators,) only then did the panic begin to return to her. So there she stood, in the lobby, waiting for her date. She skimmed around, trying not to look at all nervous, looking for the woman who wore the suits that so intrigued her.

"Ready to go?"

Michiru nearly jumped out of her skin, and turned around within a blink of an eye. The woman standing before took a step back, though the serene smile on her face never left. "Oh my," was all the marine haired woman could utter.

She was indeed surprised. The ensemble that Haruka wore was completely the opposite of what Michiru had seen her in the last two times: Instead of a suite Haruka wore a dress just a slinky as the one that the curvacious woman wore. It was black, short, revealing Haruka' long, muscular legs as well as her toned arms from the sleeveless number. Her normal simple earrings still hung from her ears, showing that she was indeed the same woman that Michiru had been with earlier.

Haruka' smile widened when she observed the stunned look on her date's face. Michiru very quickly realized that she was standing there gawking at her and pulled her eyes to the other woman's face, her cheeks coloring.

Even though she didn't need to ask, Haruka spoke, "So what do you think?"

Michiru clutched her purse in front of her with two hands, feeling like a shy school girl and smiled at her. Haruka held out an arm for her and the marine haired woman obliged her, taking her elbow in her hand before they moved off to the parking lot.

Michiru led them towards her car, and as they walked, Haruka began riffling through her bag. The marine haired woman watched curiously as she brought out an envelope.

"Mail that I forgot to open," muttered Haruka.

"They still send messages in things like those?" gasped the other woman, moving her face towards the white papered thing so she could get a closer look. Haruka rolled her eyes and handed it to her, so that she could hold it. Michiru turned it over and over between her fingers. Only packages were sent through the mail, but nothing like this.

"Shouldn't there be a return address?" she asked, looking up at her companion as they walked through the deck.

That was when the wistful smile was swept off of Haruka' face and Michiru suddenly felt guilty for killing the mood. She had no idea how she killed the mood by such a simple question.

"Yes, there should be." Haruka took it back, and repeated similar movements of taking a closer look it. "I had some of my staff look at it to see if it was safe before handling it."

Michiru's mouth dropped in surprise. "Why would people attempt to hurt you?"

Haruka shrugged. "I don't think anyone wants to hurt me, but it's just a precaution. I'm too useful to kill at the moment." The blonde had meant the words as a joke, but when she looked down, she saw a look of concern. She went on, turning her gaze back to the envelope. "It's probably just an invitation to some party."

Michiru heard the tone in her voice: Haruka didn't sound at all that convincing to herself. It went quiet afterwords as Haruka moved to open the envelope, finally, her long fingers slitting the envelope along the edge. She opened it, and lifted out what was, indeed, a card. Michiru took another step forward, and suddenly realized that her companion had stopped dead in her tracks. She took a step back to look over her shoulder.

The marine haired woman relaxed when she realized she had been tensed. "Oh that! It's a card from the Watch Dog." She glanced up at Haruka' still face. "I didn't know that you were a member. That's so nice of them to send you something."

But her hand dropped when she felt Haruka stiffened underneath her grip. Suddenly she felt troubled, her eyes never leaving Haruka.

"I"m not a member, they're just sending me a message."

The blue haired woman shoved the troubling thoughts out of her head when Haruka crumpled the card and appeared to relax once more, her smile returning to her face. And again her hand was holding the crook of Haruka's arm. As they moved, Michiru couldn't help but feel that the smile looked a bit strained. It was none of her business to know.

It was none of her business.

Michiru's hand slid down Haruka's arm and intertwined it with her hand. The blonde's fingers were cold, and the in the palm of her hand pooled a warmth. Haruka's eyes snapped wide, and she glanced at her, as if yanked out of some disturbing thoughts. Michiru smiled innocently at her, but the truth was that she had no idea why she did the gesture. Somehow it felt right.

They reached the compact car, and suddenly Michiru remembered: "My car doesn't work."

Haruka looked over at her. "What?"

"The battery or something must have burned out. I was barely able to pull it into this space. I haven't had the chance to call anyone for a replacement." She watched Haruka look at the car. The blonde turned her head to the side, staring at the silver vehicle. Michiru touched her shoulder. "Do you have some sort of car that we could take?"

"What exactly happened to it when you were driving it?"

Now it was the blue haired woman's turn to say, "What?"

"What exactly happened to it when you were driving it?" Then Haruka leaned her weight on one leg and turned to face her. "I mean, how did it sound? How fast were you driving?"

Michiru shook her head. "I was going about ninety miles per hour—not very fast. And there was this high humming sound."

"I think I can fix it."

Haruka had her eyes on the car, a gleeful glint in her eyes. She turned to look at the blue haired woman—she looked like a child facing the window when it had just snowed outside. Before she could say or do anything, Haruka was under the car. Her legs were closed, her upper body hidden underneath the vehicle.

Knowing that she was going to lose the argument, Michiru stayed silent and knelt down next to her. Very soon, Michiru heard soft clunking noises, and Haruka muttering something about wiring and needing a computer. She hoped that she knew what she was doing—Michiru knew nothing about cars or machinery. She watched, fascinated, as the woman worked, the underbelly of the car glowing within minutes.

"Ah-hah!" She heard Haruka' muffled voice.

Michiru watched Haruka' belly writhe as she struggled to get out from under the car. Haruka sat up, a smile plastered to her face.

"Oh no! You've got dirt on the back of your dress!"

Michiru leaned over, seeing the scuff marks across the fabric of Haruka's dress, and gently began to wipe it off. She pulled away, her body tingling from the contact, and suddenly they were facing each other. The smile on the taller blonde's face fell slowly, her face displaying something else. Slowly she closed the gap between them, her lips brushing over the blue haired woman's.

Their kiss quickly deepened. Haruka leaned back, pulling Michiru against her chest, a moan slipping from her throat. It was an awkward position, but Michiru found that she didn't care. Haruka pulled away her breathing just as rough as Michiru.

"Car should work now." Michiru stared at her silently, and then she added wryly, "There's more privacy inside." Her voice was husky and cracked.

Both women stood up and Michiru unlocked the doors. Haruka had the back door open as soon as the locks clicked free. She pulled Michiru against her and fell back. Michiru grunted, and lifted up to close the door behind them before lowering her body gently over the more lithe woman. Embarrassed, she held back some of her weight, even though her abdomen craved more contact. Almost as if reading her mind, Haruka's arms intertwined around her waist, pulling her down hard against her.

As they kissed, Michiru's hands explored the planes of her face, stroked her hair. She ran her hands up her thighs, her palms flat against her legs, lifting the black material along with them. When the edges of the black dress hit her ass, Haruka lifted her hips to allow Michiru to lift it further. Michiru lowered herself to her companion's lips and kissed her, running her hands over the silk of Haruka' panties, her fingers pressing the silk between warm flesh. The blonde worked hard to keep her breathing under control.

Haruka's tongue explored Michiru's mouth, placing a bracing arm above her head against the passenger door. Her free hand moved down Michiru's waist, sending uncontrollable shivers through Michiru, long fingers entering her the next minute. Michiru lifted her hips willing her to fuck her faster and she tried to stroke the nerves raw with her own fingers. She quickly realized that Haruka was matching the rhythm that she had set, moving against her hand. The marine haired woman gasped, trying to force back a cry as Haruka curled two fingers in her and felt her pulling out until she was emptied and plunging in her again. She did this over and over again, Michiru blinded by the fire radiating from her hips.

The blue haired woman heard the cry and suddenly she lost herself. Haruka had her eyes closed against the remaining shocks shooting through her, small moans breathing through her lips. When she opened her eyes, she found Michiru grinning above her.

* * *

><p>They arrived forty five minutes later and found that the inside it was packed. Michiru called her friends before entering the building, and quickly spotted them by the bar closest to the entrance. The group, like in their college years, had gotten their booze before coming to the club to save the money, and were just drinking water from clear glasses.<p>

Haruka signaled for a drink, and shrugged her shoulders when Michiru looked up at her. The rest of the group peered from behind Mina at the woman from Usagi's rumors. Usagi looked gleeful, and the blue haired woman couldn't help feel awkward at the look. In the corner of her vision, she saw her coworkers signaling to each other, too loud for an actual conversation. Many of the glances were directed at Haruka.

Dominating the center of the large room was the dance floor. Michiru could just barely make out a dark blob of people meshing together pulsing to the loud music. As the lights flashed, only then could she make out individual people. Mesmerized, Michiru continued to watch the dancers, some with moves that seemed to defy gravity. There were glow sticks being twisted into the air, the music pumping through the very walls. The energy of the room was palpable.

"Come on!" shouted Mina, her voice barely audible above the notes of music.

Her best friend slid off the stool she had been sitting on, gesturing towards the cramped dance floor. Michiru glanced over at Haruka who grinned back at her. She downed what was left of her drink and placed the empty tumbler onto the bar table before sliding off her own seat. Ami followed Minako and soon they were absorbed into the crowd.

The marine haired woman glanced over at the remaining woman, Usagi. The small blonde woman gestured them to go on without her. As Haruka wrapped a gentle arm around the shorter curvacious woman, she couldn't help but look over her shoulder towards the still seated woman. Usagi looked off to the side as if waiting for someone. Michiru shrugged off the thought and turned her attention back to the chaotic mass in front of her.

The beat of the music vibrated through the floor and up her legs. It was too loud to think, and some part of her reveled in it. Mina and Ami were dancing together, inches a part. The blue haired woman took a deep breath and tried to loosen herself up. It had been years since she had been out like this and she felt stiff like a wooden board.

"Try this," said a teasing voice in her ear. The breath was burning against her skin, hands searing through the material of her dress. Suddenly her body loosened against the form behind her, her body turning to liquid as it blended in with the rhythm of the music. She leaned her weight into Haruka, and nearly let out a moan when the heat behind Haruka's dress touched her bare back.

Each song blended, from one to the other. Michiru turned to face her. Haruka pulled her in and kissed her as they continued to dance, pulling the breath out of the blue haired woman's lips. The music whispered in her ears, and the people dancing around them turned to mere silhouettes in the edges of her mind. There were people all around her, dancing and throbbing to the beat of music she could barely hear over the pounding of her ears. Haruka's lips were soft and warm, already familiar with Michiru's own.

They were moving and swaying, she vaguely realized though she was wholly preoccupied. Haruka's hands moved down her spine, sending shivers throughout her body, and eventually took their places around her hips. As they danced, she felt people gently bumping into them, like butterflies as they went farther into the dark blob that pulsed.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Haha, and the plot<strong> thickens! I was hoping to update sooner as a celebration- I got nearly 500 hits in one day and I wanted to thank you guys! But alas there was summer skool to deal with- I should totally be working on my 15 page paper on Artemisia right now, but I wanted to take the time to update.

So I also just realized how I had wanted to format the story (but no worries, I'll keep updating, it'll be for a later draft), which made it easier for me to intermix the scifi, character development, and style more easily- why I'm sorry that the scifi in here is a bit light. I actually have a chapter from later on that I turned in for a class (with the original characters) that was formatted that way, but I couldn't figure out how to deal with the beginning and subsequent chapters.

Anyway, me rambling... XD

**Thanks guys for all your supportive reviews! :D R&R!**


	6. Act Six

**Act Six**

The night was clear and warm as Michiru and Haruka made their way down the coast line. It was early morning, perhaps around three or four. It hardly felt that late as they walked along the surf. The city skyline was bright and colorful, reflecting along the restless water.

The women had split up and went their separate ways. Ami had gone ahead to bed, wanting to go to a seminar on new computer technologies the next morning. Mina and Usagi went out for coffee and pancakes, leaving the remaining two women to spend time together.

Michiru carried her own shoes with one hand like the taller woman next to her. They walked in a pleasant silence, Michiru enjoying her feet running through the fine coastal sand. She held Haruka's arm. She realized that she didn't want to admit to herself: she had fallen for this woman and she didn't want to face the fact that this was their last night together over such a short period of time.

"So did you learn anything new in this convention?"

Haruka' soothing voice moved over the sound of the waves, intense in Michiru's ears. She snapped out of her reverie.

"Well," she started immediately, "I got a lot of notes on how to communicate with my supervisor, and how to delegate people in a group. I learned how to be more of a leader. And about some new technologies that might be used in where I work..."

She stopped herself, and glanced up at her companions face. Haruka's face was painted green, blue, and gold from the city lights, but Michiru could hardly miss the laughter showing up in those eyes.

"And I had a rather passionate affair while I was there..."

Haruka laughed out loud at that, and looked down at the sand as they continued to walk. This silence felt more awkward, the air heavy as they both realized that their time was ending. A question burned in Michiru's throat, a question that she wanted to force back down and forget about.

"So is this temporary?" asked Michiru.

She had to force the words out, nearly choking on them as if they were solid things. Haruka stopped in her tracks. It felt as if there had been a wall placed between them, and they stood a foot apart.

"What do you mean?" The blonde looked down at her, all of the laughter gone from her eyes.

The blue haired woman fumbled for the next words, her mouth going dry. She searched her companion's face for an emotion, but her face was masked. Michiru opened and closed her mouth.

"This. You and Me. Are we temporary?"

She found that her voice was soft and she hoped that it was washed away from the surf. She raised her head once more when she realized that she was looking down, and tried to peal away at the mask still on Haruka' face.

The other woman looked like she was deep in thought. The blonde glanced around, and then she looked back down at Michiru, her mouth opening and shutting as well. It seemed to be more awkward for her.

"I am drawn to you," Haruka finally admitted. "I can show you Miranda."

Michiru felt a pressure on her chest, and her stomach thrilled. She couldn't believe what she was hearing: she had expected Haruka to turn her down politely.

"But," added Haruka through her thoughts, "All of this isn't logical and it may not work out."

Michiru looked up at Haruka, and saw a sheepish smile on her face. Like she was trying not to smile, but couldn't help it. The taller woman looked years younger: a toothy kid on a playground. Michiru pursed her lips, and began to walk again. Haruka was on her heels. The shorter woman tried to plug up all hopeful feelings—she shouldn't dare feel them.

"I've always wanted to travel more," Michiru daydreamed out loud. She turned her head to the side, glancing over at Haruka. She screwed up her eyes at her. "You don't look like you're from there."

"I was adopted," Haruka said finally, "By my father and mother—it was a couple years before she died actually—when I was two, I think." She raised a finger at Michiru, before she could ask anymore questions or add a comment. "But it was a closed adoption, and I don't intend to search for anyone. All that I know was that I was born on Earth, and that perhaps my biological father was from Mars. That's it."

"I'm sorry that your mother died," was all that Michiru could get out. The news left her feeling a bit overwhelmed. She was suddenly learning more background about her companion.

Haruka shrugged. "I didn't know her all that well. She died from some hormonal disease when I was about five. I think it was the same one that prevented her from having children. It was my father that I was close to actually, but I could tell that he loved her very much. From what I've put together, she was the strategist behind the company."

They fell into another pleasant silence, and Michiru listened to the sound of the water again and the low rumble of the city on the opposite side. Eventually they turned around so that they could make their way back to Michiru's car. She looked over at Haruka' profiled face as she looked up into the sky as they continued to walk. Her breath caught and she turned away, feeling a wave of wonder overwhelming her.

"So what is your family like?" she heard Haruka' husky voice.

"What?" Michiru hesitated, it took her brain a few moments to translate the words. "Oh. Well my father owns a vineyard on one of Neptune's moons. Mom helps manage the house. That's it, really." She shrugged.

Michiru looked up at Haruka, and found that the woman was staring at her. This time the moon shone silver and deep blue against her face. Her short blonde hair whipped in her face. "Really?"

"Well, yes. I mean, mother, before she got married, used to design lingerie. She said it was one of the best times of her life—I mean, she says, until she had me."

"What was the name of the brand?"

Michiru shook her head, trying to dig up the memory. "_Persephone_ or something. I don't quite remember."

"Ah, Persephone! I know that brand. One of my ex's way back in high school was obsessed!" A lazy grin broke out of her face, as she gazed up, remembering.

She stopped, feeling the sharp gaze of the shorter curvy woman. Then she turned mock serious. "What," she shrugged, "I _have_ been with other women. It's not as rare a condition as everyone makes it seem." She paused. "Your mother was talented, I'm sorry that she gave it up."

"When a woman gets married, she gains the new position as head of the house," pointed out Michiru. The thought didn't sound as pleasant as the posters and advertisements made it seem. For a while she thought that there was something wrong with her when she felt the dread when seeing them.

Haruka made a disgruntled noise in her throat. "Of course." There was an edge of sarcasm in her voice.

Michiru couldn't help but feel troubled, and bit back the comment of asking whether her companion would want to get married someday. It _was_ inevitable. The indication was that if it didn't, something dreadful was going to happen, though it was never mentioned what. But the implication was there. Michiru couldn't imagine being alone and would rather have someone she didn't love just so she wouldn't have to.

* * *

><p>Michiru slowly came to, her mind swimming lightly as she did. The sun warmed her sheet covered body, her legs tangled in the light material. She realized why she was roused from her sleep and looked over. Her gaze found Haruka sitting up and pulling her dress on hastily. The blonde looked over her shoulder, seeing that the other woman was awake.<p>

"I got called in to a meeting..." Haruka looked at her guiltily. Her eyes looked troubled and strained. It was a side of the blonde that surprised Michiru "I have to rush back to my room and change."

It was a side of the blonde that surprised Michiru and she sat up, the sheet tumbling from her upper body. Haruka seemed to slow, the look that replaced the anxiety in her eyes made Michiru's heart skip a beat. Almost as quickly as the look came, Haruka blinked and began to move again. She stood up and pulled on her panties, having a bit of a time keeping her balance while she hurried. Haruka sat down, digging around the side of the bed for her pumps. She sighed heavily and turned her attention to Michiru.

"And it'll be the last time that I see you this weekend. I didn't want to leave you so soon."

She leaned over towards the marine haired woman, and without thinking, Michiru leaned to meet her. Their lips touched, and Michiru hadn't realized how hard it would hit her seeing Haruka finally leave. She kissed the other woman hard, entangling her fingers into her hair. Her fingers moved to touch Haruka's face, trying to ingrain the planes of her face into her mind. The strong jaw line, the feel of her hair, her cheekbones, soft skin. Her lips moved to do the same thing, her nose, her lips, teeth, and tongue. It felt all too soon, and she didn't want it to all become memory. But it would be, too soon.

And then Haruka moved away. Her face was blank, but the color in her face gave away her arousal, and as she began to put on her heels, the shaking in her hands belied how hard it was for her to leave.

"I left my card on the table. With a direct line to my personal office. I should be back tonight." She shouldered her light coat over her shoulders. "Call me when you get the chance."

"But you already left me your card," Michiru whispered. She couldn't help smiling.

Haruka was looking down at the floor, the smile contagious. "I'm leaving an extra one just in case." The blonde looked up and winked at her, recovering.

And then she was turning to leave. Michiru's eyes greedily watched her as she flowed from one step and into the other, before going out the door.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Hey guys! Another<strong> chapter—and one more until the first part is completed! I'll post that one up sooner than the others (in celebration of getting through the summer semester! But I still want reviews! I'm addicted now! :D) I'm glad that you guys liked Haruka in a dress—I prefer the manga version of her.

Oh god, so I feel like a terrible person- I've been reading 50 Shades of Grey. Yeah that train wreck. _ I had to_ because apparently it was based off a fanfic from HERE (even if it was a _Twilight_ one), so _I had to_ give it a hit-it's one of us that got published, and is doing rather well... But I refuse to spend that much money on it, so I've just been reading it at the bookstore. _And I pray that I have myself a better editor if/when I get published-because GEEZ. _All the "holy cows" and "craps" and "lips pressed into a thin lines"- that's okay with fanfics, but _not okay_ for books- we don't have editors. And then the inner Goddess bit- is that supposed to be feminism to contrast the stalking? I'm so glad Radclyffe is a much better writer (she was a fanfic writer too!)

But here's hoping- that my fic will be 50 shades better! *fingers crossed!*


	7. Act Seven

**Act Seven**

Michiru waited at the skyport impatiently. The speed jet was running slightly off schedule, throwing Michiru off as well. She wanted to call Haruka as soon as the jet was in the sky.

Even though it was only an atmospheric flight, the trip would still take a while. She was thankful—there were no gateways to go through. As a jump was starting, the space would inclose around her, and she would feel nauseated. It was one of the most uncomfortable things that she had been put through. She wondered if Haruka would feel the same way as she jumped to Miranda. But then again, Michiru was not a well traveled person.

Finally the jet began to board. As she boarded, she saw the blue uniformed, smiling women waving them all in. She didn't feel as glad to be going home as she thought she would be when the weekend had started. It was as if each step that she took, she was getting father and father away from Haruka..

She took her seat at a window. Normally she didn't like having a window seat, but she welcomed the distraction. Michiru looked about her as others boarded and took their seats as well. Her eyes drew to the stewardess' uniforms, bright blue. All were well groomed, and gave the air of adventure. Part of her played with the idea of becoming one of them, the idea of adventure across the sol system—and even earth—thrilled her. But if she got a just a little bit queasy during a simple jump, then she guessed that she could hardly make it through the rigorous training that was rumored that the stewardesses went through.

Something suddenly caught in the corner of her eye, and she turned her head. She nearly sank in her seat. It was the blue haired man that she had seen on the way to the convention center. His handsome face surveyed the boarding area, looking around for his seat. Michiru was dismayed to find that after seeing how Haruka moved, he didn't seem to move with the same ease. It was as if something had been spoiled for her.

As if he could feel her watching, his searching, midnight blue gaze fell onto her. And he smiled. The marine haired woman smiled back shyly, and realized that her smile drew him to her. She realized for a horrifying moment that she hardly remembered his name as he wound his way expertly around the rows and isles of seats and other passengers.

"Hi there," he said gently when he was close enough to hearing range. His voice was smooth, but without that husky drawl that Haruka had. For a moment Michiru was frustrated. He glanced at his card, unaware of the turmoil that Michiru felt, his smile widened. "I guess I'm with you."

As the jet lifted off, they fell into a pleasant conversation, things about the weather, and the things that they had gone to at the convention. He was negotiating between companies between those moments, and he said that they appeared to be going well, so he was allowed to go home for a while. He was heading off to the space port in New York and then on to Neptune.

A guilty thought popped up in the blue haired woman's mind—she hadn't even bothered to contact him. No matter, he didn't appear at all offended by her faux pas, and continued to talk to her pleasantly. He didn't often see Neptunians and missed home when often away. He could not see why she had moved off of the planet. "No one looks like you, and culturally you are different."

"It was for a job," she replied sheepishly. "There was none anywhere near home at the time, so I took the first one that seemed comfortable and headed for it. Plus, Earth isn't all that bad. It's quite pleasant, and I enjoy having four seasons in one year."

"What about the days?" he asked incredulous. "Sunlight is hardly the same year round and changes depending where you live. That's too much confusion. I'm exhausted of this place and I've only been here for four days. I don't want to live anywhere on this planet and experience the extreme temperature changes either."

"It's not like Mars," mused Michiru. Mars was one of the first places that had been terraformed, while Venus was the second. Mars was trial and error, and even now it experienced weather changes that made others wonder why the natives continued to live on the wretched place. Venus was the first that maintained easy weather, barely changing twenty degrees during the whole year. It was warm and sunny, though too warm for some people, like Michiru who preferred more moderate weather.

"True," the man said, crossing one leg over the other. "It seems to be a wild and chaotic place. That would be a place that I _don't_ want to visit. The people are just as crazy as the weather."

He was indicating recent events that Michiru knew only scant about. There was something about a contract within the recent year. It's economy was finally building up after they lost the war, and she supposed that they were trying a different tactic than all out war.

One of the strange things of the contract brought up by Mars was the fact that it dictated the right to measure its own years, rather than sticking to the Earth measurement twelve months, three hundred and sixty five days. And of course within those days twenty four hours and so on. Its orbit was shorter, and offered to other planets the freedom to do the same thing. But political parties like the Watch Dog had insisted that doing things like this would threaten the unity of the sol system—and no one would want that. It struck Michiru as slightly ludicrous, but she supposed that even a small change could start a series of events that could perhaps lead to chaos.

But her memories of childhood during the slow parts of the year on Neptune where the days were covered with darkness, and the night full of light, and the seasons in between full of confusing transition. Maybe it would be easier to modify the years. Giving the planets the right to adjust time seemed hardly the first step to political chaos and rebellion. But what did she know? She was no politician.

The marine haired woman changed the subject to something more pleasant, though her eyes kept on glancing towards her window. The sun was setting over the horizon, turning the sky from a deep blue from the high altitude to pinks, reds, and purples. It was marvelous as they floated to through the clouds, wisps and arms of the bodies parting way as the jet knifed through them.

"I need to make a call," she said, standing up unsteadily. She hadn't been sitting longer than an hour. In fact, her limbs surged with an energy that she could barely contain. Emotions bubbled up into the pit of her stomach. She was nervous, and found the card in her pocket that held Haruka' number as she weaved her way down the isle.

By then people had either decided to keep their seats or move over to the lounge and the window area. Michiru found her way by the lounge, wisps of smoke making it up her nostrils. She tried to restrain her breathing, unused to so much smoke. Somehow the area around her had managed to stay clean rather than smokey. Men in business suits sat at the bar, either chatting with friends or the barkeeper—most just sat alone nursing drinks on the rocks.

The plane was following the setting sun, giving everyone a perfect view. It was breath taking as the marine haired woman stared out at the clouds, stained with the colors in the sky. The sun sent rays skipping across the fluffy things. As she got used to the smell of cigarette smoke, she began to wonder, finally turning her attention away from the wide glass.

Flight attendants moved about with a flowing grace that reminded Michiru heart achingly of her lover. She was pulled back to reality and the chance to call Haruka finally—even if it had been only less than a day since she had last spoken to her.

Easily she scanned the card through her phone and immediately the small machine began to send the number and try to connect. She pressed it to her ear and eagerly and nervously waited. It was like connecting a dream with reality. She was bringing Haruka in her life. It scared her almost. But she knew that she wouldn't have it any other way.

"SK Enterprises is here to light your way..." Michiru ignored the drone of the computer introduction, and the phone beeped as it logged in the extension that would connect her directly with the tall blonde.

"Hello, SK Enterprises, how can I help you?"

The voice was low and calm, but it was real and not a recording. It sounded androgynous, and she hesitated. Michiru swallowed and realized that her throat was going dry. She licked her lips before speaking.

"Hi, I wanted to speak to Haruka Tenoh. This is Michiru Kaioh." Clear, short and concise.

"Who?" replied the voice. There was a hint of confusion. Michiru felt her heart begin to drop. _Don't worry. Don't worry._ She had hoped that Haruka had told her secretary about her call.

"Hold on one moment please."

Michiru's phone switched to a station that she preferred. She was surprised—most companies didn't even give you the option, instead choosing a station that suited them, or the hold period was full of ads. Her respect in Haruka rose. Music filtered out attempted to calm her nerves. Her stomach fluttered around in her middle. She leaned against the railing in front of the window, watching clouds float by. Suddenly the music was cut off—and she had no idea as to how long she had been put on hold.

"I'm sorry miss, but there has been no message left by Haruka. There are no messages about a woman named... What was it your name was?"

"Michiru.. Michiru Kaioh." The blue haired woman felt the color drain from her face. It had to have been a misunderstanding.

"Do you know if I can speak to her then?"

The voice on the line suddenly turned cold, and Michiru felt herself cringing inwardly.

"No ma'm. She is busy now and is booked solid. If you would like to speak to her, you have to be an affiliate with one of our sister companies or set up an appointment at one of our appointment offices."

"I don't understand..." Michiru tried to put some strength behind her voice. Emotions overwhelmed her, though at the moment, she couldn't figure out what they were as she tried to stay on the line. The person at the other end repeated themselves, and without another word, hung up on the blue haired woman. She rose up from the railing.

At first she thought that she had gotten a wrong number, and was tempted to try again. This couldn't be. None of what happened made any sense. The blue haired woman flipped the card around with her hand. Had she judged Haruka wrongly? Had the other woman's intentions not been genuine? The phone number had been real—it had gotten her directly to the secretary who passed messages to Haruka.

Michiru closed the phone and numbly began to make her way back to her seat, forgetting that her friend was waiting there pleasantly there for her. As if nothing at all had happened. She knew that the smell of cigarette smoke was clinging to her. The blue haired man sat there reading a digital vid, and instantly the marine haired woman remembered the lunch that she had had with Haruka.

He turned his attention to her and smiled warmly. Inwardly she cringed. She felt shaky and drained. He seemed to notice and cocked his head towards the side, but didn't say anything. She still had his card, and he seemed nice enough. At least for the time being. Good for a fling like she had had during the convention.

The curvacious woman realized that she was bitter. One of the emotions that she had felt towards the end of the phone call. Slowly, as she began talking to the Neptunian man, she was able to strip the emotions one by one and name them. She had made an idiot of herself. To think that she had intended to have a long distance relationship—a relationship that would have been planets and planets away—over a some fling that had started during the dumbest of circumstances.

Why shouldn't she try to date the man next to her? What she had had at the convention was nothing and this meant nothing to her as well. Michiru drew back from herself as they continued making more small talk. No. She wouldn't do something so foolish. And her heart wasn't in it. Not when her heart had indeed had been set on another person. It wouldn't be fair.

But the remaining thought that was left in her head was the fact that she would be reaching her home feeling utterly all alone.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Oh no! The end of part one!<strong> And I left Michiru so miserable! I would _never_ give them a hard time... .

Thank you for taking the time to review! :3

PurpleIzzy- Radclyffe actually wrote X-files fanfiction, and I believe that she has them posted on her personal site. I haven't read them


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